GM's Journal - February 1894
Thursday 1st February, 1894 Garvin and Cheng-Lou go to the police, who seem unable to help. They then head to the museum to hear the translation from Dr. Stewart. While there they get a tour and see an impressive statue of Set. Meanwhile Belladonna and Jones wander the markets of Cairo. Belladonna has her purse taken, but Jones does a little 'dipping' of his own and makes back most of the loss. Later that evening they go to visit Ibn-Ghaza, an Egyptian Astrologer. He tells them only 'what he told Davis' "The Map lies at the feet of Set - there is nothing else to know". As they leave his shop they are attacked by a robed figure in a side alley. His initial thrown knife nearly ends Garvin's life, but Belladonna gets to him swiftly with some corpse dust, keeping him alive. The lone assassin proves a difficult foe to best, and the lodge are badly injured when they have dispatched him. It is fortunate that Dr. House is a capable as she is! Friday 2nd February, 1894 Carstairs visits the Director of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities and persuades him to allow the Rippers to have some time in the Museum's store rooms, under the guise of Carstairs giving a lecture on Archaeology to the others, and the Museum getting a little free cataloguing done at the same time. The 'lecture' is set to occur during the Museums mid-day break (between noon and 3pm). Muttering something about mad dogs and Englishmen, the Director gives Carstairs leave to do as he wishes. After a little basic cataloguing to make things look 'right', along with the theft of an amulet that would purport to protect against the God Set (Carstairs) and an Eye of Horus (Jones), they move up to the Gallery where the second statue of Set, (the one that Davis didn't destroy) is on display. Carstairs finds a secret compartment in the base of the statue, while the others stand by, "in case the mummies come to life". As Carstairs grabs a scroll case from the compartment, not only do the mummies start moving, shocking Jones to the core, but so too does the statue of Set, it's massive blade knocking Carstair's hat clean off - it would have been his head had he not ducked! A Melee ensues, with the Mummies initially gaining the upper hand. Carstairs lets off a shot at the animated statue, which is certain to bring the museum guards running! Jones is felled by one of the mummies, a strange black rot moving up his arm, and Garvin, discovering his knives are of little use against the animated dead, tears an arm off a nearby bench, and uses it to knock the head from the offending mummy, finishing its reign of terror. Belladonna doesn't fare so well against her foe, she has the idea to use flame against the creatures and grabs a bottle of medicinal alcohol. Before she can douse her opponent, however, she is knocked from the balcony, and covers herself instead. Fortunately she lands on a canopy and is not too badly injured by her fall. Seeing guards running her way, she gestures for them to follow her, and makes for the stairs to get back into the fight. Cheng-Lou and his monkey back away from the main Melee, but soon re-engage, the diminutive simian distracting one of the mummies so that the oriental septegenarian can land a telling blow. Carstairs, thinking on his feet, grabs hold of one of the ropes around the displays and ties it to a railing at the edge of the balcony. Running around the statue of Set, he leaps from the balcony, the rope pulling tight and bringing the statue crashing over the edge, turning it to rubble - right at the feet of the guards who were following Belladonna! Several swift and persuasive moments later, followed with messages sent to the Director - along with a little cleaning up, and the Monkey is blamed for 'knocking the statue over'. Fortunately the guards are more than a little gullible and Carstairs has a reasonable reputation within the archaeological fraternity in Egypt... Both Belladonna and Jones find that their injuries are such that they will need time to recuperate. The blackened flesh on Jone's arm appears to be some kind of wasting disease that Belladonna has not encountered, though Carstairs suggests that it might be 'Mummy Rot'. The young lad's strength is sapped by the injury, whatever it might be. Saturday 3rd - Wednesday 7th February, 1894 While Belladonna and Jones rest, Carstairs, Garvin and Cheng-Lou engage with Dr. Stewart in order to best ascertain where they need to be heading. Much research (and avoidance of the Director of the Museum) later, they gain a good idea of where the Tomb is likely to lie. Monday 12th February, 1894 Dr. Stewart has gathered together a group of Diggers and useful equipment, and the Rippers themselves have put together some other essential supplies. Off into the desert to the west they go ... Friday 16th February, 1894 The heat has caused more than a little difficulty on the journey, but plenty of water and the cool of the evening have kept everyone well. One of the diggers spots a snakes nest, and some hunting is done for extra food. Garvin, not liking the scaly beasts, stays well clear, but somehow manages to be the target for an attack by one of the poisonous beasts. Dr. House is on hand to suck his wound, and keep him from being badly poisoned, however. Sunday 18th February, 1894 The Dig Party encounters a group of friendly desert nomads, who are happy to trade water. When one of them sees Jone's afflicted arm, however, the whole group leave rapidly. Tuesday 20th February, 1894 Enter the 'Valley of Death' as it was called by the nomads two days previously. Halfway along the valley, there are two watchtowers built into the walls. A band of desert warriors attack, some holing up with muskets, while the others charge in on horses to engage in melee. Carstairs is shot in the stomach, but is saved by Belladonna using Corpse Dust. Several of the attackers are slain, and when their leader is badly injured, they call for a cessation of violence, warning the Rippers that if they go ahead, they will find only death, but that the desert warriors will fight them no more, unless they are forced to do so ... Their attackers are allowed to take their dead and leave in relative peace. Later that afternoon the dig site is identified and a camp set up. The diggers, under the watchful eyes of Carstairs and Stewart work in shifts to move the sand covering the entrance, and then clear the rocks the also bar the way. Wednesday 21st February, 1894 With the rubble finally cleared, all that bars the way is a clay wall. It is inscribed with a curse, which causes the Diggers to flee into the desert. Dr. Stewart, who is suffering from a relapse of Malaria, notes that they will have to return, as there are no oases around, and they will need water. He will rest in the tent and wait for their return, while the Rippers and Daphne head into the tomb. Garvin and Carstairs break the seal on the tomb, a rush of stale air leaving the hole like a dying man's final exhalation. And are there words on the wind? "Arise, Setmosis ....." Into the Tomb The Rippers move, with trepidation, into the tomb, Carstairs offering translations of heiroglyphs that promise untimely and painful deaths to those that would defile the tomb. Overcoming a pit trap (which involved changing the empty pit into a pit filled with burning oil ...) they continue into the tomb complex proper. As they make their way through Carstairs, with the aid of Daphne continue to translate the heiroglyphs - noting that the name of Setmosis is absent from all of the writings, there is a blank space left where his name should be. According to ancient Egyptian beliefs this would mean that Setmosis would not be able to find his way into the afterlife. Passing by a temple to Set, which Belladonna obsesses over a little, they find a room containing three sarcophagi, and a treasure room also. Garvin rushes towards the treasure, and as he steps into the room there is a 'click' and then a rumbling sound further back through the complex - others run towards the rumbling sound, leaving Garvin in the darkness. It is discovered that they are trapped by a slab that has lowered to block the exit. The Slab has slots for both a crook and an ankh, however, so there may be hope for escape. Setmosis Arises It is decided to open the sarcophagi, and explore what else can be explored in the hopes of finding a way out. Cheng searches a room filled with small statues of workers and slaves, and also finds a statue of Setmosis, holding a crook, that can be removed! Meanwhile, the others, having ascertained that Garvin is safe to move, decide to open the sarcophagi. As they do so, the mummies within the flanking sarcophagi turn to attack the interlopers! Carstairs, scoops up the remains of Setmosis and makes his way towards the door. The battle swings in favour of both sides at different times, and at one point Carstairs shoots at a Ripper! It would seem that his need to get his 'discovery' out of the tomb has unhinged him somewhat! Garvin spies the Mummy in Carstairs arms moving, and makes to attack, and Carstairs defends the creature. Ultimately all of the mummies are destroyed in flame, Setmosis included, and Carstairs comes back to his senses. After a little treasure looting, it is decided to place the Crook and Ankh in the holes in the wall, in the hopes that an opening will appear. With the items placed, the wall starts to rise again, revealing the exit. Carstairs grabs the Ankh back out of the wall before it dissapears into the ceiling, and a deeper rumbling is heard. Dust starts to fall from the ceiling - the tomb is collapsing! Escape and Betrayal They rush to the exit, the tomb falling around them, and barely make it out into the sunlight, to find Dr. Stewart and the bearers all pointing guns at them. Stewart takes their weapons, and the Ankh, and leaves the desert to kill them, as he and his men ride off with all of the food and water. Thursday 22nd February, 1894 A Heatwave strikes, but the group carries on through the scorching sands. Friday 23rd February, 1894 Another day trekking through the desert, with no food or water. Oakley and Jeffrey are starting to lag. Saturday 24th February, 1894 Jones spots a snake, causing Garvin to flee. Belladonna is heavily fatigued tracking him down, while the others eat snake meat ... Sunday 25th February, 1894 A Sandstorm strikes. Belladonna is completely exhausted and starts to self-administer Morphine. Carstairs, with the aid of the others, constructs a makeshift shelter to protect against the worst of the storm. Monday 26th February, 1894 Another Heatwave. Jeffrey collapses. There is some debate as to whether to leave him to die in the desert, or carry him on. Tuesday 27th February, 1894 Garvin thinks to use the lamp he stole from the tomb to summon a genie to aid them. Carstairs and Daphne help with deciphering text on the lamp, and it may indeed be able to trap spirits. It would appear that there are none inside at the moment, however. Wednesday 28th February, 1894 Another day in the desert, more and more of the group are succumbing to thirst and hunger.